Event Styling, Crafts, DIY, Design, and anything that is beautiful in this world

Archives for May 2016

I’M SO TIRED OF NOISY, ROWDY AND STRESSFUL CHILDREN’S PARTIES. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A “CHILL” PARTY WITHOUT BEING BORING?

My answer to this is often-asked question is a resounding, capitalized, YES.

Rafa’s Fun Day at The Park – It was, truly!

It is always a matter of preference, but more and more parents nowadays are opting for this route. Maybe it’s also because of the more subdued (but sophisticated) aesthetic of a styled party, but finally, people are starting to realize that a party doesn’t have to have screeching hosts and blaring music to be a success.

The best party I can show you as an example is one I did for two good friends of mine:

Daddy Ryan and Mommy Lorce with Dear Rafa

RAFA’S DAY: A STROLL IN THE PARK

Interestingly, the idea for this unique type of party was sourced from the birthday boy himself! Rafa becomes a bit stressed with crowds and loud noises, so my client Lorce thought about the concept Fun Day At The Park. But before I show you the details, first I need to tell you about this artist named Nila Aye…

The main concept art of Rafa’s party was based on the works of Nila Aye. She is this great professional illustrator that is known for her specific artistic style of depicting cartoons in that adorable, cutesy doodle. If you like her style, you can purchase her work in Etsy here. For more on her portfolio, check out her website here.

My mockup for the stage turned out this way –

The actual stage? Kind of the same!

I think the fact that the venue was in Wack-Wack helped tremendously. The function room has ample sources of natural sunlight which helped produce naturally bright images, images such as these:

In the midst of our planning, Lorce had a brilliant idea: what if we created a sort park area inside the party, and fill it up with a slide, picnic benches, a petting zoo, sorbetes and taho vendors, kinetic sandbox and other fun stuff people do in the park? It was the sort of Eureka moment that you knew would make a party EXTRA special. And more importantly, Lorce had a looonngg grass turf that she said we could use as flooring!

Turned out the kids (and a few adults) loved the area so much they stayed most of the time there!

Rafa with dad and mom, enjoying Central Park

Mommy Lorce and Rafa playing sand

All the kids had a blast at the bunny petting station!

Cuddly bunnies waiting for some love

Mommy Lorce entertaining guests at the park

Manong sorbetero’s cart as he awaits a multitude of children

Kids could sit on the swing, or try the slide in Rafa’s park

Guests loitering on the picnic bench. They seemed to love doing that!

The gang enjoying the chill and sunshine

Rafa’s Party: The Rest of the Fun Stuff

Here are some other additional elements of Rafa’s party that I think made it special:

If you’re at a loss as to what specific Japanese theme you’d like for your party, try this: a Sumo theme for a boy, and a Kokeshi Doll theme for a girl.

Interestingly, I’ve done both parties!

More specifically, a Sumo Wrestler themed party for Toby, and a Kokeshi Doll themed party for Sydney Belle. Both turned out amazingly well and I’m going to share the details further with you.

A SUMO THEMED PARTY: THE ELEMENTS

When you hear Japanese, what comes to your mind? Here’s what I see:

A traditional Japanese temple guarded by four stout sumo wrestlers! Here’s where things get interesting. For the stage, I decided to work on the facade of a Japanese temple complete with its arched roofing and hanging red lanterns. In the middle lies Toby’s celebratory cake framed by Toby’s traditional Japanese name (which reads: to-bee. I think!) on top.

An oriental lantern display as photo-op area. I just LOVE how this turned out. The lighting of the lanterns and the way they are all lined up makes the set-up so interesting and photo-worthy.

Have an awesome-ly designed Sumo wrestler themed invitation. Unknown to most people, the invitation is actually the starting point of inspiration for most stylists. It acts as a launching pad for further design ideas. And when you start with an invitation like this, you will surely be bursting with tons of ideas for your party.

Free Giveaway: Sumo Themed Dessert Topper Package (hi-res format)

Thinking about throwing your own Sumo-themed party? Here’s a great way to start. Simply sign up your email below, and you’ll receive a FREE PACK of our Sumo themed dessert toppers (characters drawn and digitized by Party Magic)!

Email address:

A decorate your own Sumo Wrestler / Kokeshi Doll craft activity for the kids. This one is a real catch. It’s right smack in theme, and a great way for kids to stay preoccupied while the adults socialize!

Suggested supplier: Try out Gladys of Crafts and Party Bucket. She is on top of my list for suppliers for craft activities, and the one who created the activity you see above. What I love about her is her ability to customize, and the fact that she has taste. This can be seen throughout how she designs her activities all the way to the level of service her staff provides.

Sushi pillows as giveaways. Nothing probably beats a pillow in terms of usability, and turning it into the shape of something in line with your theme is a great idea.

Suggested supplier: Check out Pillow Me. For more ideas on giveaways and souvenirs, check out:

Welcome To My World!

I'm Michelle, mother of the 2 sweetest girls in the world, Sofia and Chloe. I'm an event stylist and owner of the boutique styling shop, Party Magic. I love doing crafts, design, cooking, and anything that has anything to do with beauty and art.